in brief

los boldos wines

Two whites and a red from Chile that would go nicely in a wine bar or pub or serve as a range of house wines come under the Los Boldos label.

They are a Cabernet Sauvignon 1992, a Chardonnay 1993 and a Sauvignon Blanc 1993. The estate of Los Boldos de Santa Amalia is 60 miles south of Santiago in the foothills of the Andes. The grapes are hand-picked and no pesticides or fertilizers are used.

The estate is owned by GE Massenez of Alsace, well known for its eaux de vie. The trade price from Percy Fox (0279 626801) is £37.50 a case.

douro plus

More than just port comes from the Douro Valley in Portugal (see right). Some neat red table wines are now being made.

I recently had the chance to drink one of these unusual wines. It is called Duas Quintas and has a fulsome but not overstated fruitiness - the sort of thing you sometimes catch on the palate of a tawny port, but lose in the sweetness trapped by the fortifying alcohol. Here the sugar is fermented out.

It is a nice match for red meat and light enough to drink on its own. Above all, it isn't Cabernet Sauvignon. Maisons Marques et Domaines (081-871 3955) sells it at a trade price of £49 a case before VAT.